Specter hints Kemp died of GOP agenda

[AUTiger1]

No need for me to comment or highlight anything....other than to say Unfreakingbelievable!

Specter hints Kemp died of GOP agenda

By Tom LoBianco (Contact) | Monday, May 4, 2009
Sen. Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania Democrat, said part of the reason that he left the Republican Party last week was disillusionment with its health-care priorities, and suggested that had the Republicans taken a more moderate track, Jack Kemp may have won his battle with cancer.

Mr. Specter, responding to a question from CBS' Bob Schieffer over whether he had let down Pennsylvanians who wanted a Republican to represent them, said he thought his priorities were more in line with those of the Democrats.

"Well, I was sorry to disappoint many people. Frankly, I was disappointed that the Republican Party didn't want me as their candidate," Mr. Specter said on "Face the Nation." "But as a matter of principle, I'm becoming much more comfortable with the Democrats' approach. And one of the items that I'm working on, Bob, is funding for medical research."

Mr. Specter continued: "If we had pursued what President Nixon declared in 1970 as the war on cancer, we would have cured many strains. I think Jack Kemp would be alive today. And that research has saved or prolonged many lives, including mine."

Mr. Kemp died Saturday of cancer. He had been the running mate of 1996 Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/04/specter-hints-kemp-died-of-gop-agenda/

EDIT: Forgot to add the link.

[Saniflush]

No need for me to comment or highlight anything....other than to say Unfreakingbelievable!

yea I'm sure it was the GOP policy that did it. 

Oh yea don't all members of congress past and present have access to Walter Reed?

[Tarheel]

Specter has lost his mind with all due respect.  This is ridiculous and insulting to the Kemp family.  Using his logic Republicans are against medical research; and apparently he forgot that Nixon's War on Cancer plan was 'followed-through'.  So he's factually wrong on that too.  Too bad Bob Schieffer was too ignorant to call him on it.

Here's an excerpt from the Republican Party Platform:

...
Funding Medical Research

We support federal investment in basic and applied biomedical research.  This commitment will maintain America’s global competitiveness, advance innovative science that can lead to medical breakthroughs, and turn the tide against diseases affecting millions of Americans – diseases that account for the majority of our health care costs. The United States leads in this research, as evidenced by our growing biotechnology industry, but foreign competition is increasing.  One way government can help preserve the promise of American innovation is to ensure that our intellectual property laws remain robust.

Federal research dollars should be spent as though lives are at stake – because, in fact, they are. Research protocols must consider the special needs of formerly neglected groups if we are to make significant progress against breast and prostate cancer, diabetes, and other killers.

Taxpayer-funded medical research must be based on sound science, with a focus on both prevention and treatment, and in accordance with the humane ethics of the Hippocratic Oath. In that regard, we call for a major expansion of support for the stem-cell research that now shows amazing promise and offers the greatest hope for scores of diseases – with adult stem cells, umbilical cord blood, and cells reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells – without the destruction of embryonic human life.  We call for a ban on human cloning and for a ban on the creation of or experimentation on human embryos for research purposes.

We believe medicines and treatments should be designed to prolong and enhance life, not destroy it.  Therefore, federal funds should not be used for drugs that cause the destruction of human life.  Furthermore, the Drug Enforcement Administration ban on use of controlled substances for physician-assisted suicide should be restored.
...

Source:
http://www.gop.com/2008Platform/HealthCare.htm#4


And here's some information on Nixon's plan and what really happened:

National Cancer Act of 1971

In 1970, the American people made clear their desire for a cure for the second-leading cause of death in the United States. President Nixon responded during his January 1971 State of the Union address: "I will also ask for an appropriation of an extra $100 million to launch an intensive campaign to find a cure for cancer, and I will ask later for whatever additional funds can effectively be used. The time has come in America when the same kind of concentrated effort that split the atom and took man to the moon should be turned toward conquering this dread disease. Let us make a total national commitment to achieve this goal."

As part of this national effort, in October 1971, the Army's Fort Detrick, Maryland, biological warfare facility was converted to a cancer research center, eventually becoming the Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, an internationally recognized center for cancer and AIDS research.

On December 23, 1971, President Nixon followed through on his promise as he signed the National Cancer Act into law, declaring, "I hope in the years ahead we will look back on this action today as the most significant action taken during my Administration."1

The National Cancer Act (P.L. 92–218), "The War on Cancer," gave the NCI unique autonomy at NIH with special budgetary authority. The Cancer Chemotherapy National Service Center (CCNSC) increased its efforts to acquire new compounds for testing with the awarding of an acquisition and inventory contract responsible for the collection and documentation of test agents.

1 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Cancer Facts & the War on Cancer. 2002.

2 Haran C. Vince DeVita: the view from the top. Cancer World June–July 2005;38–43.

Source:
http://www.dtp.nci.nih.gov/timeline/noflash/milestones/M4_Nixon.htm

[Saniflush]

Now now.  If we also get credit for Kennedy's problems then it may be ok.

[Tarheel]

Now now.  If we also get credit for Kennedy's problems then it may be ok.

And remember the truth is that Nixon was never impeached (unlike Clinton, the only living impeached president and Andrew Johnson both, ironically, Democrats).

[AUTiger1]

My first thought was "Specter is taking stupidity to a whole new level."  Maybe someone should give the counter argument that it was butting heads with the likes of Specter and his other "moderate ilk" is what impacted Jack Kemp's health, but I digress......

[Tarheel]

My first thought was "Specter is taking stupidity to a whole new level."  Maybe someone should give the counter argument that it was butting heads with the likes of Specter and his other "moderate ilk" is what impacted Jack Kemp's health, but I digress......

It was the political approach of moderates like Specter, McCain, and the rest of the Gang of 14 that led the Republican Party to it's great victories disastrous defeats in 2006 and 2008.

I did not realize it until I watched Fox News Sunday but Specter was originally a Democrat before moving to Pennsylvania and deciding he could actually win elections by running as a Republican...I guess old habits are hard to break, eh?  Chris Wallace probably would have called-out Specter on that 'change' but Specter didn't have the guts to go on FNS; instead choosing to take slow pitch, softball questions from Bob Schieffer on cBS.

But I digress with both observations.

[JohnDeere]

I did not realize it until I watched Fox News Sunday but Specter was originally a Democrat before moving to Pennsylvania and deciding he could actually win elections by running as a Republican...I guess old habits are hard to break, eh? 

Yeah, I caught that story. Specter's former campaign manager was doing a telephone interview on the local talk radio. Basically, Specter was originally a young Democrat in Philly. He decided to run for City Clerk or City Attorney (I forgot which). The Philly Democrat Chairman told him that particular office was reserved for the Irish and a Jew shouldn't bother running. So, Specter jumped to the Republicans to run for that office.

[Tarheel]

Yeah, I caught that story. Specter's former campaign manager was doing a telephone interview on the local talk radio. Basically, Specter was originally a young Democrat in Philly. He decided to run for City Clerk or City Attorney (I forgot which). The Philly Democrat Chairman told him that particular office was reserved for the Irish and a Jew shouldn't bother running. So, Specter jumped to the Republicans to run for that office.

Interesting.  Thanks for clearing that up; I had not heard the full story only the comments that Chris Wallace had made on FNS.